


Music To My Ears

by AmuletRebel



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: F/M, I Ship It, I need more Amamatsu, I ship Amamatsu so hard!, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2019-01-07 17:17:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12237258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmuletRebel/pseuds/AmuletRebel
Summary: He wishes he could change the past, but now that doesn't matter. As long as there was music, they were happy. Whether they were in a classroom, a game, or in the white light, at least they were together.(Spoilers for the game)





	Music To My Ears

**Author's Note:**

> I SHIP THEM SO HARD! I love them! I also ship Rantaro/Kaede/Shuichi, but that's for another time. Anyway, I had this idea in my head, and I wanted to write this.  
> I asked someone to write this prompt as well and I do want to read their version of it someday.  
> Oh yeah, and there are SPOILERS for the beginning and ending of the game. You have been warned.

Sometimes, he found himself wishing they were born in a different life. He wished they met under different—he even dared to say normal—circumstances. He wished that their desires had been different, allowing them a chance to grow. But that just wasn’t in the cards at the moment. But even so, he wouldn’t trade those precious moments for anything.

Rantaro Amami, the Ultimate that forgot his own talent, strutted through the halls of the academy with no particular destination. He came to a stop when he heard a soft melody. As he looked around, he realized that the Ultimate Pianist’s Research Lab was only a few feet away. So of course, Rantaro had an idea what was going on. He drew a little closer, a sad yet lovely tune reaching his pierced ears. He considered leaving, but he found his feet planted there, willing him to stay. With an unintentional sigh, the green-haired teen knocked on the piano-themed door. The music suddenly stopped and Rantaro found himself missing it.

Moments later, as expected, Kaede Akamatsu opened the door. Rantaro could tell she was surprised to see him, the way her lilac eyes widened upon seeing him on the other side of the door. Her nose did a cute little twitch as her mouth formed an ‘o’ shape.

“Oh, Rantaro,” Kaede finally said, shaking off her initial surprise. “What brings you here?”

“I heard you playing,” he simply replied. “Mind if I sit in on your practice?” He honestly didn’t know what compelled him to say this. But oddly enough, he didn’t feel the slightest regret.

“Oh, of course!” Kaede grinned happily as she stepped out of the doorway to let Rantaro enter, closing the door behind him once he did.

“Were you playing any particular piece?” Rantaro asked curiously.

“Oh, no,” the blonde girl answered, fiddling with a strand of hair, “I was just making something up on the spot.”

“Really? Well, that’s quite impressive.” Rantaro found a stool and placed it near the piano, sitting down comfortably. _But if that’s the case, why did it sound so sad?_

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Kaede took her seat at the grand piano, placing her fingers on the keys. “I do it a lot when I feel…overwhelmed.” Her gaze turned down to the piano as she gently bit her lip. But she pulled together a smile in a split second. “But since you’re here, I can always play something happier.”

“No, no. Don’t let me being here stop you. Just be yourself.” The mysterious boy smiled at her, making her feel just a little more comfortable.

“…Thanks, Rantaro.”

And off she went. Her fingers skillfully moved across the keys with little effort. The melody was filled with passion and elegance. The underlying tones would’ve been easy to miss, but not for Rantaro. He closed his eyes, taking in every note. Before he knew it, he started to dream. No. Dream was the wrong word. It was a memory; he was sure.

He and Kaede were sitting together at a grand piano. She was smiling with such a carefree attitude. And he just stared at her, smiling just as happily. He remembered feeling so at ease in that moment. She played him a song unlike any other. It came from the heart. Rantaro’s right arm never left its place around Kaede’s waist. He sat closer as she continued to play the beautiful melody, her concentration never breaking. Soon, the piece ended, but music was still playing in his mind. Kaede looked up to him with her beautiful smile. Naturally, Rantaro smiled back at the piano player. She really knew how to play his heart, didn’t she? He leaned down, their foreheads touched. A blush spread across Kaede’s cheeks as she stared into his avocado green eyes. Her hand delicately moved to his shoulder as his face lowered towards hers.

All too soon, the music stopped, snapping Rantaro out of the memory. He looked to see Kaede, her lilac eyes filled with concern as she stared at him. Of course, Rantaro laughed off his behavior and presented her a carefree smile.

“Sorry about that,” he apologized. “That was amazing. I was so caught up in it, I guess I blanked out.”

“Are you sure?” the blonde asked, her words filled with the same amount of concern her eyes revealed.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” He got up from his seat and put back the stool. “I hope to hear you play again sometime.”

“Really?!” Kaede leapt from her spot on the bench, her expression turning up with glee almost instantaneously. She did have a knack for wearing her heart on her sleeve. “Then it’s a promise. I’m gonna hold you to it, okay?”

Rantaro nodded with a small, genuine smile and headed out. But before his hand reached the door, he hesitated for a moment. He thought about telling her about it; what he found. He honestly believed he could place his trust in her. Much like the way his heart was beating rapidly from being near her. He was sure she felt it too. Unfortunately, he decided against it and headed out, waving to her one last time. If he had known of the regret and sorrow that would follow his choice, he would’ve entrusted her with every last detail, including his emotions.

When he woke up, all he saw was white. He remembered the shot put ball that landed at his feet, but then he remembered the intense pain he received from behind before blacking out. Rantaro knew, in that moment, that he was dead. So this was death? It didn’t feel like he imagined it would be.

Within a blink, he was in a hallway. A faint sound drew him in. He followed it so trustingly, without regret. At the end of the hallway was a white room—white walls, white curtains, white floors, and open windows revealing the blue sky. The only things in that room were a grand piano and a single crying girl. Her tears travelled down her cheeks and onto the black and white keys as her fingers continued to play the sorrowful melody. Her cries of pain and frustration were drowned out by the music.

Rantaro opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. He clutched his throat in surprise. He tried again and again, not giving up until something, _anything_ came out. His voice was coming back, but it was hoarse, barely above a whisper. It sounded like he was choking. So, instead of speaking, the green-haired teen approached the girl, embracing her from behind. She gave a small gasp of surprise, her playing abruptly ending.

“Kaede,” he finally whispered, his voice gaining back its usual flow. “Don’t cry.”

“How can I not?!” she shouted, placing her head in her hands as she sobbed. “I killed you… If I hadn’t rolled that ball into the vent, then you–”

“You didn’t kill me.”

Her sobs stopped slowly, but her breathing was laboring and hiccups came every so often. “W-what…?”

“You didn’t kill me,” Rantaro repeated. “It wasn’t you. Please…believe me.”

He turned her around and embraced her, his arms around her middle. He held her in place tightly, keeping still as Kaede gradually began to calm down. Her delicate hands gripped the back of his shirt tightly, refusing to let up. He didn’t want her to. He placed his chin on top of her head, listening as her breathing even out.

“Play for me,” he suddenly said. “We promised, didn’t we?”

Kaede’s body still trembled in his arms, but she managed to silently nod. She moved out of his embrace and turned to the piano once more, placing her fingers on the keys. Her hands still shook as they stayed in place. Rantaro reached out and grabbed her hand, sitting next to her on the piano bench. He was silent, reassuring her in his own way. His thumb rubbed the back of her hand until it stopped shaking.

The silence was comforting instead of tense. Eventually, Kaede straightened herself out. Rantaro released her hand, allowing her to play the piano once more. A happier tune filled his ears, filled with compassion and love. He could hear her pouring every emotion into the piece. His arm moved around her waist, but she kept playing. The side of his head touched hers and he closed his eyes, listening to her music.

Halfway through the melody, Rantaro realized something was off. When he opened his eyes, he discovered that both of them weren’t in their casual clothes anymore. It seemed Kaede didn’t notice. She was in a long white gown, reaching down to her ankles. He wouldn’t be surprised if she suddenly sprouted angel wings. He was no different. He was adorned in a pure white tuxedo. He would’ve laughed at how they looked, since it looked like they were getting married. But to him, that thought wasn’t so bad.

Rantaro continued listening to her music. He was content in that moment. And so was she. They had forever in this place, where they may have been destined to be. He did wish he could go back in time and stop her from feeling all the sorrow and pain she must’ve dealt with when she found him dead. He wished he told her about everything from the perk he received to his plan to end the killing game. But what’s done is done. He’s happy right where he is and Kaede couldn’t agree more. As long as there was music, they found their happiness.

**Author's Note:**

> I guess people aren't writing fanfics because they're playing or watching playthroughs of the game. I already finished the game so I'm all set. I guess it's going to take some time before more fanfictions are up.  
> I have some alternate universe ideas that won't spoil the game in my head too. So I hope to write those someday.  
> Comments are always welcome.


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